Internet Advertising Bureau Hires First General Manager

The four-year-old Internet Advertising Bureau this week took a big first step — the hiring of a general manager, Larry Kaufman, the former vice president, member services, with Magazine Publishers of America.

Kaufman becomes only the organization’s second employee, after Barbara Sweetman, the IAB’s administrative director. And part of his new job is to establish headquarter offices for the group in New York.

“Just as our industry has grown, so have we kept pace, and grown to the point that this is the right time for us to add the resources of a full-time general manager to better serve our membership,” says IAB chairman Rich LeFurgy, general partner of Walden Venture Capital.

As vice president, member services at Magazine Publishers of America, Kaufman oversaw the organization’s membership activities, professional development, and was liaison to the Interactive Media Committee, Smaller Magazines Advisory Council and Custom Publishing Council.

Prior to joining MPA, Kaufman worked for Cowles Business Media, now PRIMEDIA Intertec, where he started with Catalog Age magazine and eventually became conference development director of the Folio:Shows, magazine industry conferences and trade shows.

The IAB is the leading online advertising group, consisting of more than 300 active member companies. Its activities include helping create standards, researching the medium, and educating the industry.